Meeting Pope was highlight of Rome pilgrimage for diocesan priests

By MARY STADNYK
Associate Editor

Three priests among those who joined Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., on a pilgrimage to Rome said the high point of their trip was meeting Pope Francis after attending one of his general audiences.

From Jan. 4 to 12, a group of 20 priests and two diocesan staff journeyed and prayed at numerous sites on a pilgrimage to the Eternal City, hosted by Bishop O’Connell. The itinerary included attending several Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica — including a Papal Mass with Pope Francis on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, Jan. 6 — and Masses in the basilicas of St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major. They also visited the Rome basilicas of St. John Lateran and the Holy Cross in Jerusalem.

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The groups traveled to Assisi and visited the basilicas of St. Mary of the Angels, St. Clare and St. Francis as well as the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis.

In Rome Jan. 10, the pilgrims attended the general audience with Pope Francis.

In the presence of Francis

The three priests said that in the Paul VI audience hall, it was awesome for them to see Bishop O’Connell seated on the dais with Pope Francis.

But they said they were surprised when Bishop O’Connell arranged for his priests to also meet the Pope and have a group photo taken.

“I remember just feeling very blessed to be there at that moment with brother priests representing the Diocese of Trenton,” said Father Patrick McPartland, pastor of St. Catharine Parish, Holmdel.

“To see all of the people assembled in the hall and yelling out ‘Papa’ was amazing,” said Father John J. Testa, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro. “The icing on the cake was having the opportunity to shake the Holy Father’s hand.”

“To be in the picture with Pope Francis was a thrill,” added Father Stephen Sansevere, pastor of the three parishes that make up the Catholic Community of Hopewell Valley. “Bishop O’Connell came up big for us, and to do so after his heart attack was a joy-filled moment.”

And, with the exception of Bishop O’Connell becoming ill and having to be hospitalized, the priests agreed they found their experiences to be enjoyable, prayerful and worth repeating.

On Pilgrimage, with Access

“It was very humbling to walk through the metal detectors and into the plaza of the Holy See,” Father Testa said of his first-ever visit to Italy.

“To concelebrate Mass with the Holy Father, to see St. Peter’s Basilica and the crypt church where all the popes are buried and to concelebrate Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter are memories that I will never forget,” he said.

For Father Testa, visiting Assisi was particularly meaningful. Growing up in Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Seaside Heights, a parish staffed by the Conventual Franciscan friars, Father Testa recalled hearing much about the Porziuncula and the basilicas of St. Clare and St. Francis.

“And now, I had a chance to see them in person,” he said. “It was absolutely beautiful, truly a sight to behold.”

Father Sansevere recalled his two previous trips to Rome. The first time was when he and his now-deceased wife, Susanne, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and the second was in 2017, when he spent three weeks attending a class at Centro Pro Unione as part of his doctoral studies.

With this trip, Father Sansevere said with a smile: “My first thought was the Bishop would give us access beyond most people’s abilities. And he did not disappoint.”

Father Sansevere found Assisi to be a “special place where I felt I could spend days just absorbing the area.” At the Tomb of St. Peter, where the priests celebrated Mass and Father Sansevere preached the homily, he said: “It was a little intimidating considering the setting and the audience of my brother priests.”

Concelebrating Mass on the feast of the Epiphany with Pope Francis and being among the priests chosen to distribute Holy Communion were all special moments for Father Sansevere.

Father McPartland first visited Rome in 2017 when, as a chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy, he accompanied 12 midshipmen to the Eternal City. It was Lent, he said, and the days started by attending “station Masses” celebrated for particular language groups.

But for this trip, he said he thought “it would be special to see Rome on a pilgrimage and revisit special places from a more spiritual, prayerful approach.”

“I also had not been to Assisi, so that sealed the deal for me.”

Father McPartland said he was heartened to concelebrate Mass with the other priests at the various places and found the Mass on the feast of the Epiphany in St. Peter’s to be very moving.

“Sitting there surrounded by beautiful masterpieces and to see the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons and laity from all over the globe,” he said. “It was a glimpse of the universal Church praying as one.”

Bonding of Brothers

Along with bringing home a treasure trove of lifelong memories, Fathers McPartland, Testa and Sansevere agreed all of the priests were able to strengthen their bond as brothers and be renewed in their shared service to the Diocese of Trenton.

“We priests are very busy and don’t see each other much other than at penance services and diocesan events,” Father McPartland admitted. “So, to sit down and have meals and get to know brother priests was one of my favorite parts of the trip.”

“The camaraderie was wonderful,” Father Testa said.

Father Sansevere said, “This was most certainly a bucket-list trip, and I am grateful that Bishop O’Connell offered us the opportunity.”

Having only been ordained since 2020 at age 67, Father Sansevere added that while he was the oldest and newest priest on the pilgrimage, “I experienced a great time with a great group of priests.

“It’s now been three trips to Rome for me — as a husband, a student and a priest,” Father Sansevere said. “I have to wonder, does it get any better than this?”